Paramahamsa Yogananda
This is a story that unfolds when the legendary Yogananda had returned to India from the US to visit his Guru. Yogananda accompanied by his younger brother and a few others decided to visit the “Kumbh Mela”. This story is related by his younger brother Sananda Lal Ghosh who refers to him as “Mejda” or “Middle brother” in Bengali. We see in this story how some people are blessed with remarkable healing powers:
Our guide then took us to the other side of Ganges to visit another remarkable sage who, it was said, had healed many persons of incurable diseases. He was seated on a hillock in front of a ceremonial fire, and was surrounded by his devotees. We climbed the mound and seated ourselves near the sage. Mejda asked about his healing power. The sait replied in Hindi: “What is unusual about it? You are also healing others with the same power.” Mejda remained silent. After a short time we bowed respectfully and left. Mejda remarked: “He truly has the power of God.”
While we were resting at Prasad Ghosh’s home one afternoon, his second daughter, Chaya, about eight or ten years old, was either playing on the high wall surrounding the house or climbing on it in order to pick the fruit from a nearby tree. She slipped and fell, uttering a piercing cry. We rushed outside and found her lying on the ground, unconscious. She was carried into the house. From her posture, and from the swelling in the spinal area near the waistline, it was feared that she might have fractured some vertebrae. They were going to rush her to the hospital.
Mejda came into the room and asked the weeping mother and relatives to step aside: “Let me see her back.” Laying the child face down, he began to offer silently some prayer or chant as he sprinkled cold water on her back. This process lasted about fifteen or twenty minutes. Then he sat down besides the still form, placed his hand over the injury, and meditated for about half and hour. We all stood silently around them. Suddenly Mejda stood up and took hold of the little girl’s hand, and with a sharp jerk, lifted her to her feet. “Get up!” He said. “Nothing has happened. You are all right.”
Fully conscious now, Chaya saw everyone staring at her; she became shy and ran over to her mother and buried her face in her mother’s sari. Mejda quietly left the house.
Editor’s note: Though this story is about healing powers, we must be extraordinary cautious in taking recourse to these. Our first choice should always be to take normal medicine, as Yogananda, and his followers did. Healings as described here are extremely rare.
Credit: This account is provided in the book Mejda written by Sananda Lal Ghosh.